The Iranian government has resorted to extreme repression to crush a popular uprising that has continued unabated for the past two weeks. In a chilling escalation, the regime has openly threatened protesters with the death penalty. Attorney General Mohammad Moahidi Azad issued the warning, branding those participating in anti-government demonstrations as “enemies of God.”
Iranian state television reported that even individuals who provide support to protesters will face the same charge, an offence punishable by death under Iranian law. The regime has invoked the charge of Mohareb (enemy of God), a notoriously vague and draconian accusation long used to silence dissent. Under Articles 186 and 190 of the Iranian Penal Code, those convicted can be sentenced to execution by hanging, amputation of limbs, specifically the right hand and left leg, or life imprisonment. Prosecutors across the country have reportedly been instructed to act without mercy against anyone deemed disloyal to the ruling establishment.
Accurate casualty figures remain unavailable due to a near-total internet shutdown imposed by the authorities. Nevertheless, credible reports from foreign media indicate that the death toll is climbing rapidly. At least 217 people, including nine children, are reported to have been killed. More than 2,300 individuals have been arrested by security forces, while thousands have reportedly been shot. Hospitals are overwhelmed, with wards overflowing with the wounded, as the state continues to deny or suppress information about the scale of violence. The protests were triggered by the catastrophic collapse of Iran’s currency. The rial has plunged to a historic low, with one US dollar reportedly trading at 1.4 million rials. Inflation has surged beyond 42 percent, pushing ordinary Iranians into acute economic distress. Protesters say the government’s monthly subsidy of just $7 (around ₹600) is meaningless, noting that it is no longer enough to buy even a single kilogram of meat.
Exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi has publicly declared his full support for the uprising, calling for nationwide strikes and mass protests over the weekend. He urged Iranians to take to the streets carrying the pre-revolutionary Iranian flag bearing the lion and sun, a potent symbol of defiance against the clerical regime. Iran’s domestic crisis has been further aggravated by the June war with Israel and the continuing weight of international sanctions.
International reactions have followed swiftly. US President Donald Trump warned Tehran to halt the killing of protesters, while US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that Washington stands with the “brave people of Iran”. Even as the regime attempts to black out the truth by shutting down the internet, it is simultaneously ruling through terror, threatening death sentences to intimidate the population. Yet Iranians, especially women, continue to resist openly, burning portraits of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei and deliberately defying mandatory hijab laws. Despite brutal repression, the uprising shows no sign of retreat, exposing a regime that increasingly survives not through legitimacy, but through fear.
